Computers Quote by Iain M. Banks
““Then the machine started to reel off infant-mortality rates and life-expectancy figures, sex ratios, types of diseases and their prevalence in the various strata of society, average incomes, the incidence of unemployment, per capita income as a ratio of total population in given areas, birth-tax and death-tax and the penalties for abortion and illegitimate birth; it talked about laws governing types of sexual congress, about charitable payments and religious organizations running soup kitchens and night shelters and firstaid clinics; about numbers and figures and statistics and ratios all the time, and Gurgeh didn’t think he picked up a word of it.””
About This Quote
The machine enumerates societal statistics, yet the protagonist fails to grasp their meaning, highlighting information overload and disengagement.
In simple terms: Data flood overwhelms understanding.
Key Takeaway
Statistics can drown comprehension.
Themes
information overload
statistics
societal metrics
technology
Mood
overwhelmed
detached
Type
narrative
critical
When to use this quote
- reading dense reports
- monitoring dashboards
- policy analysis meetings
Key Concepts
cognitive overload
data literacy
Practical Applications
- summarize key points
- visualize data for clarity
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we stay engaged with complex data?
- What strategies prevent information fatigue?
A Different Perspective
The quote assumes the listener is indifferent, ignoring potential curiosity or critical analysis.
![“[I]t was really only in the generation or two before hers that the idea had started to traverse the spectrum of likelihood in the popular imagination, beginning at unthinkable, progressing to absurd, then going from possible but unlikely to probable and likely, before eventually arriving – round…” quote by Iain M. Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e3b/iain-m-banks-3729_ideas_i-t-was-really-only-in-the-generation-or_47398.jpg)
